Author: Stephanie Tromly
Genre: Young adult, contemporary, mystery
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
336 pages, hardcover
Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.
NOTE: I was provided with an e-ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Penguin Young Readers for letting me read this!
Trouble is a Friend of Mine is ridiculous. The characters, the plot, the mystery? All ridiculous. The funny thing is that some of that ridiculousness really worked for me – especially when it came to the characters. But that also means that some of it didn’t work. Let’s break it down into strengths and weaknesses.
STRENGTHS
– The book is hilarious. I had A LOT of laugh out loud moments at the dialogue or characters.
– It’s well-written, easy to read, and fast-paced, which made it super enjoyable for me.
– The characters. Yes, they’re over the top, particularly in the case of Digby, but they’re fun and silly and strange and quirky, and I dug that.
– I got really involved in the mystery. It was pretty obvious who the good guys and bad guys were, but I was still interested to see how it would all wrap up.
– Digby reads a lot like a Benedict-Cumberbatch-Sherlock, which I loved.
WEAKNESSES
– The plot is rather convoluted and the ending doesn’t really do the best job of wrapping it all up.
– The book is pretty over the top in certain parts and rather unbelievable. I had trouble suspending my disbelief in parts. A lot of it seemed a little too easy.
– Occasionally, the book felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be “quirky.”
– Digby is a stalker. He shows up in Zoe’s room in the middle of the night. He’s got A LOT of issues and everyone just kind of says, “Oh, that’s just Digby.” But some of it is seriously messed up. Overall, I liked his character and his over-the-topness, but it irked me some.
The bottom line: Overall, I had a lot of fun reading Trouble is a Friend of Mine. Yes, it’s ridiculous, and yes, it’s a little over the top. But it’s also HILAROUS and strange and silly and really fun to read.
Rating: 6.5
Caught Read Handed 
I will be turning to this when I am next in the mood for a hilarious ridiculous book!
Yay! It’s perfect for that!
It actually looks like a fun book. If the laughter is worth it, I might give it a try.
It was for me. That’s kind of what kept me going!
I am almost finished with this one and I do agree that some of it is kind of ridiculous, but it’s hilarious. It’s definitely a fun read so far and definitely good for some laughs! Hopefully finishing this tonight.
Agreed! Worth it for the laughter!